Hield, Kings come up short against Golden State

Golden State Warriors guard Andre Iguodala, right, reaches in for the ball held by Sacramento Kings forward Harry Giles III during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Chavano “Buddy” Hield had a career night for the Sacramento Kings on Saturday in a 127-123 loss to the Golden State Warriors.

Hield, who was compared to Warriors guard Stephen Curry by Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, posted 32 points (12-21 FG, 8-13 3Pt), five rebounds and four assists across 35 minutes against the former league MVP.

Despite Hield’s stellar performance, the Warriors proved to be too much for Sacramento to overcome.

Curry scored 20 of his 42 points in the fourth quarter and had 10 3-pointers to seal the deal.

“Everyone on our team came out and played at a high level, but we just couldn’t find a way to beat them,” Hield said. “Everything we did was in the flow of the offense, which is a really good thing. We didn’t have to force anything. It’s tough to be in this type of game and lose it. This was really a game that you want to play tough in and come out on the winning side. We need to do a better job on maximizing our possessions because we’re just a couple positions away from being an elite team.”

Kevin Durant added 29 points, nine assists and five rebounds, and Klay Thompson scored 20 points to help the Warriors take a 3-0 lead in the season series. Justin Jackson added a career-high 28 points, and Willie Cauley-Stein had 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Kings.